Clutch mechanism



July'22, 1930. A. s. REYNOLDS HAL 1,771,352"

CLUTCH MECHANISM y Filed Oct. 10. 1925 2 AShee1.'.s.-Sheer. l

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"oak" 14 July 22, 1930- A. s. REYNOLDS-ET AL 1,771,352-v CLUTCH MEGHANISM Filed Oct, 10, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /NVEA/'ongs Patented July 22, 1930 y .UNITED STA-Tes i PATENT @F1-:ICB

Q ANITA s. REYNOLDS AND 3031i REYNQLIDS, er stemmers, cerner-nieuw CLUTCH `:imenen:sin`

applicati@ med october 1o, 1925. serratura. 61647,

The object of the invention is to provide `a clutch in which frictional losses are reduced to; a' minimum, which4 may be used to connect a movable element with a moving` element or to connect a rotatable element with a member rotating clockwise or with one rotatingicounterclockwise, and by which the engagement and disengagement are accomplished with a minimum of eort, and the ..10 resultant combination will provide ahighly efficient mechanical power amplifier.

One of thefeatures `of the invention is the provision of a pivoted clutch member in place of the conventional sliding type.

Another feature is'the provision of pivoted clutch member with al bifurcated topsec- `tion which engages with a floating ring in such ,manner that when the ring is moved in ya direction parallel to the axis of the clutch,

the latter may be engaged or disengaged.`

Another feature is the provision of meansV to maintain the` engaging ring in a plane at `right angles tothe axis of the clutch at all times.' W y Still `another feature is the provision of a balanced floating `means for carryingthe engaging ring that'has a Vminimum gravitation@ all loss.

One embodiment of vthe invention kis illustrated in the accompanying drawingin which like parts in allof the several figures are designated` by corresponding characters of reference, andin which o Fig. l is a plan view of a clutch mechanism embodying the invention.

Figi?. is a side elevation.` Fig; 3 is a section on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section of the line 4-.4 of Fig. 2. "Figure 5 is a detail ofthe clutch engaging surfaces. j

" fFig. -6 is a partial enlarged side elevation of the clutch mechanism.

Fig. 7 is 'an edge detail view of the clutchV engaging ring. y l 8 isa side detail View of the clutch engaging ring and lclutch yoke.

` 9 is a detail vie-w of the clutch yglpgg?,

Figfl@r isapartial enlarged plan View uof ythe clutch'mechanism. i

Referring to the drawings, i is a'base or each of which mes y is rotatably mounted on the base l. 'Power ting both `between the two @miseri-i esilio-.rt dis. noe

` describeV is as follows support for carrying the mechanism having posts 22, 123 `and '32. Mounted in bea-rings 2 and 3 on the posts 22 and v23 is a shaft 4. Loosely running on shaft 4 are two`.spaced and oppositely dis eosed bevel gears, 5 and 6, 55

hes with a pinionf?, lwhich may be supplied to the gears through either of the bevel gears 5 andG, or through "the pinion 7. If power supplied throughrpin- `ion 7 then shaft 4 may be' extended entirely through gear 5, omitting pin 37 and permitgears 5 and 6 to revolve loosely on shaft. 5 'l ligidly secured to the shaft 4, between gears 5 and 6 by a pin 35, is a block 9,'t0 which is pivotally mounted ayoke 10 having a forked end l1 carrying clutch surfaces. The forked portion straddlesa ring 12the lattersurroundingjtheshaft 4, block 9 and yolrelO.` 1f" The gear 5, is provided withlugsorclutch surfaces p13 and i4, andgear 6 carriessimilarV lugs l5 and 16. The ,clutch yoke '10, is adapted to be moved into the path of lugs land 14 on gear '5, and also into the path of lugs 15 and 16 .01.1 gear 650,1 te remain midW-ey gears Witheet @neas-ieg any are part ofbase `1.

A frame 24, is pvotelflr mounted te the errer' @eds .Of relie 20 and' 2.15 eed aber@ the rivets 0f .the yokee The @Crews 3.3 @ed Se ,Carried therese 25 and restrict the leerer@ .to the frame 2.4., and themerement e. th. ing 'The tu@ gears L51 nd .6 are il@ y @seemed on the shaft 4, het the eed f he @rter ex- .j tethehrbefthe geese, and .Lario Vfil-flle# 12.5, @steeds through hearing ,216 se .fied the peet 32mm? has 95 37 'the gear '5 and by ein 'n .27.- of the apparatus. es .ahorre Applying power to the gear?? causes the gear to revolve in a countercloclnvise direction as viewed in Fig. 3. This revolves the gear 6 in a clockwise direction through the pinion 7. In the condition, shown in the drawings, the gears 5 and 6 will rotate relatively to the shaft'4, and the latter will not revolve. If pressure be now applied to 'the frame 24, as by engagement with a pro]ec tion 28 on the frame, to move the frameY to- Y wards the gear 6, the lower frame 19 will be moved inthe opposite direction lthrough the yokes 2O and 21. This movemeiitrpwill.causeY the ring 12 to move toward the gearj6, tilting or swinging the forked -end 11 of, yoke 19j .into the path of either the lug 15 or 16 which are attached-.to the'gear 6.V The continued rotation of the gear' engages the lug 15 or lug 16 with the corresponding vforked end of ,the yoke 10 and causes the shaft 4 to be re- Avolvedin unison with the gear 6. Whenrthe V:trahie 24 is moved back tothe normal posi-l tion, the yoke 10 is ldisengaged fromrthelug .15 01216 andthe rotationof the shaft 4 ceases.

`If nowthe yframe24iis moved-in the opposite direction away from gear 6, the frame 19 will be `moved toward the gear 5 and the l ringf12 will tilt the forked end 11 of yoke 10 into the pathof the lug 13 or 14 of gear `Wheii vthe lug 13 or 14i engages withv the clutch surface of yoke A10, the -shaft 4 will be caused to revolve in the opposite direction..

Asthe shaft 4 revolves in either direction power may be taken from a gear 29, keyed tothe outer end of the shaft'4. A

The Clutch members 13, 14, 15, and 16, and

the surfaces of the .yoke 10 are given a slight v.bevel'vasshown at,38, Fig. 10, so that a minimum of force is requiredto disengage them Iwhenl power is being takenfrom gear 29. Also the, yoke 10, being movably mounted on the block 9, asby means of pivots V and 31, is tilted by the expenditure of a minimum of force, and since the two yokes20 and 21 lare pivotally mounted kto the posts 22 .and

.23, Vand the upper frame 24 and lower frame 19 are likewise Vpivoted to the yokes 2O.V and 21, a minimumof force is required to move the whole system to effect clutch engagement and disengagement.

In practice theJ weightof frame 24 may be I balanced with the weight of frame 19 so that in moving the floating system, gravity will `nottend .to restore it to a neutral. position.

. The invention `having been described, what isclaiined'a'nd desired to be secured by Let- .bodieed beratend brit-,1-

1. A mechanical. movement, comprising a pair of bodies adapted to rotate in opposite directions, an element adapted to be tilted into engagement with either of said bodies, a iioating annulus having a fixed angular position in surrounding relation to said element and adapted to cause an engagement between said element and either of said bodies.

2. A mechanical movement, comprising a pair of bodies adapted to rotate in opposite directions, a pivotally lsupported annulus having a ixed angular position, a swinging Helement'mounted within the circumference of said annulus and adapted to engage with either of said bodies through a movement of c said annulus.

tached to said shaft between the two loosely mounted members said element having a free vend bifurcated anda ring member engaging with said bifurcatedend and adapted to move rsaid clutch element into engagement with either ofthe two said members.

4. A vmechanical movement comprising a pair of gears adapted to rotate in opposite directions, a clutch element pivotally mounted to be moved relatively to said gears and .engage with either of them, a freely moving member in surrounding relation to said element, said member mounted to prevent rotation, and pivoted means for moving said member parallel to theA axes of the gears to effect engagement between said element and either gear.

5. Clutch mechanism, comprising a power shaft, `a driven shaft, a gear secured to the 7er shaft, a lgear loosely mounted on the driven shaft, said gears being in axial alinement, a pinion engaging said other gears, a

member secured to the driven shaft and between the gears, a clutch element pivoted to the member, a ring surrounding vsaid memberl and engaging said element, a frame for vsupporting the shafts, and means pivoted to the frame and supporting said ring for moving the element into engagement withA either ot the gears.

6. A mechanical clutch comprising a pluralit)v of rotatable bodies, a shaft to be rotated. clutch gripping member pivotally associated with saidv shaft and a shipper elementrigidly attached to a pivotally suspended frame, said element being in surrounding `relation to said member to cause said member to effect said engaging.

7,- A mechanical movement,'comprising a rotating body, a normally stationary body, a member having swinging attachment to said second body and adapted to engage with said iii-st'` body .and a balanced floating element Y.having a iixed angular positionl adapted to cause said member to engage with said first 8. A mechanical Vclutch mechanism comprising two gears adapted to rotate in opposite directions, a pivoted element normally stationary with respect to said gears, a pivotally supported non-rotating ring surrounding said element and means whereby said element may be brought into engagementwith either of said gears by moving said ring.

9. ln a clutch mechanism a rotatable shaft having two'members loosely mounted thereon, a clutch element having swinging attachment p to said shaft between said members, a ring surrounding said element and engaging with the free end thereof, and means whereby the free end of said element may be moved into engagement with either of the two said members atrany angular position by a movement of said ring.

10. A'` mechanical movement, comprising a pair of gears adapted to vrotate in opposite directions, an elementadapted to engage with either olf said gears, a pivoted parallelogram, a member mounted on said parallelogram and associated with said element in a manner to cause said engagement by means of a movement of said parallelogram.

l1. A mechanical movement, comprising a pair` of bodies adapted to rotate in opposite directions, a plurality of pivoted members, an element mounted to be moved relatively to said bodies and to engage with either of them, a member surrounding and associated with said element to-effect the engagement, said member being mounted on said plurality of pivotedmembers permittitng motion paral- 13. A mechanical clutch mechanism, comprising a plurality of gears, an element .mounted to be moved into engagement with any one ofv said gears, a member in surrounding relation to said element, a frame pivotally supportedV by a plurality fof pivoted lever arms, said member being mounted on said trame.

146A mechanical clutch mechanism, comprising a pair of bodies adapt-ed to rotate in v opposite directions, a rotatable shaft, a clutch element having swinging attachment with said shaft, a member having loose engagement with said element, a double frame, said member being mounted upon one portion of said framefthe two portions of said frame movable in o'ppositedirections to effect engagement between said element and either of said bodies.

15. A mechanical clutch, comprising a pair` Y of bodies adapted to rotate in op osite direc` tions, aj'rotatable shaft, a clutch e ement having swinging attachment to said shaft, a memberhaving loose engagement With said element, a double frame, said member being mounted upon one portion of said frame, the two portions of said frame movable in opposite directions to effect engagement between said `element and either of said bodies.

16. A mechanical clutch, comprising a pair of bodies adapted to rotate in opposite directions, a rotatable shaft, a clutch element having swinging attachment to said shaft, a member having loose engagement with said element, a movable frame, said frame rigidly supporting said member, said frame being pivotally supported in swinging relation `to said clutch.

17. A mechanical clutch, comprising a pair of bodies adapted to rotate in opposite directions, a rotatable shaft, Va clutch element having swinging attachment to said shaft, a member having loose engagement with said element, a swinging structure having an upper and a. lower portion, said structure `heilig pivotally mounted at points between said upper and said lower portions.

This specification signed and witnessed this Sthday of October, 1925.

ANITA S. REYNOLDS. JOHN N. REYNOLDS. 

